Hoja Santa

Maya Art's work explores themes of femininity, religious syncretism and cultural diversity.

In 2017, she spent a year in the Afro-Mexican village of Costa Chica Oaxaca in the home of lawyer Juliana and her teenage daughter, Veronica. 

It was Juliana who introduced her to the women of the community - healers, midwives, widows, single mothers and mothers with many children. They live relatively separately from men due to a local history of violence but the life of community revolves around them.

The village is steeped in magic, hidden energies and secrets. Traditional medicine and healing and healing techniques such as espanto (soul cleansing) or empacho (healing) abound.

The work explores three key themes - the anthropology of Afro-Mexican villages, the coming together of Catholic and African spirituality and the place of women in society. For Maya it is also a form of autobiography in which her own multicultural background is reflected. She chose mixed media collage and painting on photographs to reflect her experiences of the village.

This book is the result of a maquette made during a workshop directed by Ana Casas and Ramon Pez at the invitation of Hydra, an art gallery and art gallery and publishing house based in Mexico City. The project received the Dummy Book Award at the Rencontres d'Arles 2022.